Grace felt a sinking feeling punch her in the gut. This wasn’t delivered by a mail person or a parcel delivery company. Only her name was scrawled on it in childish script. If she had to figure out. The person used their non-writing hand to write her name. “Bart, I do not know where that came from. I don’t expect anything ever to come to the motel. I have a PO Box in the city for anything or I set up to pick up the package at a local postal outlet.” “Then we start by leaving it there and getting your things out of here. Then we get everyone to move their vehicles a safe distance away for the time being. Get everyone out of the surrounding motel suites. You get the motel manager and I’ll call this in. We’re going to take this seriously. There could be evidence on the package, or it could be explosive. We don’t know right now.” Bart couldn’t believe they would stoop to such a cowardly act of intimidation. The motel wasn’t heavily populated, but still blowing u
Becky didn’t believe the day could get any odder. Once the Elders of Rob’s wolf pack left, they left her feeling drained and vulnerable. They needed to finish cleaning up the back rooms after they were ransacked. Rob kept trying to talk to her about what happened, and Becky would brush it off. Several times she’d pick up something and then leave the room to put it away somewhere else. It was irritating, Rob. Becky could see that. But she couldn’t bear dealing with it right now. Every time she thought too long on it, her hands shook, and she wanted to curl up in a dark corner and cry. Becky couldn’t deal with anyone right now. “Becky? Becky, did you do something or say something to the Robinson’s?” Jane Ann came in with a questioning look. “No, why?” “Or the Samuels’?” “What are you talking about, Jane Ann? Please, get to the point.” “I’ve got several payments from several business accounts that I have to process.
Bart got the guys out there and he suffered a ribbing about it until he reminded them this was how organized crime warned people they would be killed if they continued to do what they were doing. “Look, how do we know she didn’t leave it here for you to find?” “Because she’s having a hard enough day as it is. Whoever did this got her fired from her job. Also, she was with me. Helping me out with some research.” “Oh? You call it research now, do you? Anything else we should know about you and redheads?” “You have got to be kidding me. We were looking at business records. She’d already done the research, and she was offering it to me without a warrant. Think about it, we could connect it to the missing persons.” “If that’s the case, you need to tell us about your secrets on how to get women to cooperate in investigating better. Geez.” Bart snorted. “Nothing I can see on the packaging and the rat’s throat was slashed
“Yeah, I’m reporting in.” Bart said, annoyed. He’d finally been able to get Grace to rest. The last thing he needed was to find himself in a position where he had to explain what he was and how her reality was just the tip of the iceberg. No, that he wanted to avoid as long as he could. It was hard enough watching her flirt with people around town, trying to get information about her story. Gods, what was he going to do with her? “Well, Bart, me old friend. You know you should have reported ages ago. The boss isn’t going to be happy. I’ll see what I can do to appease him.” “Tell him I have some complications on this end and read the reports I’ve sent in. I’m dealing with a human investigative reporter, among other complications.” What Bart was telling the Gamma on the other end of the phone who worked in the office on behalf of their Alpha and boss, shut up. It’s none of his business until the Boss says it is. Bart and the guy on the phone were not the same
Becky came into the bedroom, watching Rob change his clothes. The man was a god in physical form. Too beautiful to be real. How had she missed it? They all appeared that way. How could anyone mistake them for human? Those eyes, their physical build was a cross of model beauty and athlete. All power and strength with hints of their more feral nature. She could see that feral nature right now, as his eyes never let her. “You know we can’t stay here. I won’t leave you here and risk you might be in danger. Now, get your things together and we’ll leave.” “What kind of welcome will we get when we reach your home, and those elders talk?” Becky absolutely hated this. She’d left her home because of this very situation. Her ex-husband, his family, his people, and her parents made it impossible for her to live there. She’d been miserable and couldn’t live her life without judgement or the media in her face. People wouldn’t do business with her, and she floundered for b
Becky’s phone rang. One rancher was bringing in a sick pup for treatment. “I’m sorry, Rob, but this is work. I need to be here. I get it. You need to be with your pack, too. But I have to look after my business, because it’s what’s keeping me afloat financially.” “Fine, but John and Janie stay with you, and you don’t do anything if John says otherwise.” Rob couldn’t believe the timing. They were trying to get out of here to a safer location and she was finding reasons to stay. “You’re tying my hands.” Becky was struggling here. She needed to do this. It was her livelihood, for crying out loud. She didn’t have people to staff it for her, so she could go running who knows where. “I’m keeping you alive. Just try to do as I ask, please.” Rob felt like she wasn’t taking this seriously or not seeing her life as worth the consideration. “Alright for now. I shouldn’t be much more than a few hours. I’ll get John or Jane Ann to call you if it’s going
Bart’s brain froze as he started at Grace. What did he say to that? How much had she heard and how much did she understand? “What are you talking about?” Play dumb. Make her question what she heard. Pretend to be confused. He was a dead man if his alpha or the local alpha heard Grace right now. She had to stop this line of investigation for everyone’s safety. “Werewolves. They’re littered all over the place. The ranger station. The street names. Even the bar’s named Wolf’s Den. Anyone with my experience can see the signs. Then your vague explanation of not being covered by basic human rights. It all makes sense. Well, say something.” Grace was hoping he’d just tell her the facts and beg her not to write about it. She actually didn’t plan on mentioning it. She wasn’t a fool. Perhaps if she kept him talking, he’d slip up and confirm something. “Have you been in the sun too long? Werewolves, and what was that? Were bears? What is that, anyway? But I can confidently tel
Becky reached the clinic and unlocked. Jane Ann went to the front desk to get ready for the anxious client. John headed for the back room to make sure it was secure. Becky finished changing into her scrubs and jacket when the bell over the door went off. She could hear John on the phone with someone in her office. Smiling, she made her way to the waiting room. The reporter Grace was there look worried or anxious. “Hi Grace, right?” “Yes, I have a question and I need to know you’ll take me seriously and won’t think I’m crazy.” “I’m waiting for an emergency to arrive, but until then, I guess I could try. I’m not sure what you’re talking about, though. You need to make yourself more clear.” “You know all the wolves in the area? Not the normal ones, but the sightings of huge ones.” “Vaguely, I guess. Why?” Becky could see where this was going, and it wasn’t good. “This is crazy.” She was torturing herself with this. “First off, I would never write ab